Crossfire
by ChronicTrashcan
Summary: Renée's Dad always told her nuclear war isn't a matter of if anymore, it's a matter of when. She didn't take him too seriously at the time. Little did she know he was right. At the ripe age of twenty one, Renée Maria Willard is thrust into a familiar land ravaged by war. Her baby brother is somewhere in the large expanse of the wasteland, and she'll do anything to bring him home.


Chapter 1: Family ties

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide mentions

The pain of grief fades with time is a phrase I've heard parroted by many. You'll get over it, it doesn't last forever.

I've determined those people have no fucking clue what they're talking about. Because as I stand next to my Dad's closed casket, forever seems to be a likely outcome.

The ache in my chest is something akin to a hot poker, sharp and insistent. I let no signs show though, I know no amount of comfort will ease it.

It digs deeper when I gaze upon my very pregnant mother as she lay a single shaky, black-gloved hand upon the glistening wood of his casket before it's set to be lowered into the cold earth.

My twin brother, Raimond, makes his way over to her, before gently cupping her shoulders with his worn hands. I walk over too and out of the corner of my eye I spot my eldest sister, Aubrey, doing the same.

We congregate around her as though to shield her from prying eyes as she openly weeps.

My own tears threatening to slip through, but I stubbornly blink them away. My lips trembling with barely concealed emotions.

I grab my mother's free hand and give it a squeeze.

Raimond stood fast, his face stoic, but I knew better. His seafoam eyes said it all. Red and bleary, tears that wanted release but never came.

Aubrey quietly sobbed, her head hung low as she rubbed soothing circles on our mom's back.

At that moment, grief seemed to be an eternity for all of us.

"Renée, no. You can't just drop out of college. Not now, not when you're so close to graduating!" Aubrey pleaded with me, hands waving around frantically as to emphasize her words. Her slipper-clad feet pacing the tiles of her kitchen.

I sighed as I carded my lean hands over my freckled face. I rested against the dining room table for support.

"Moman is due any day now, you realize that, right?" I stated firmly, eyes narrowing in irritation, "She has no one at home to help her care for Shaun. Not only is she not as young as she used to be...Papa...he ain't there, Aubrey. She. needs. someone. there."

"There's reason Nannies exist-"

"Yeah, and with them jacking up their prices to afford to live in this economy, I'm sure it'll mighty easy to find one." Audrey groaned, visibly frustrated at my stubbornness.

"You think I don't know that? Maybe you should let me finish what I have to say for once. What I was going to suggest is that we all chip in to help." It was my turn to groan.

"Sure, we could do that, but wouldn't me dropping out save us a hell of a lot more money in the long run?" I was up on my feet now, walking towards her and plopping myself on the counter-top next to her.

"Money ain't the only thing at stake. This your livelihood we're talking about-"

"Aubrey, it's not like the university's going anywhere. I could stay with Mom, help her care for Shaun, work a job or two then head back when he's more independent."

"What about your damn scholarships, huh? With the VA flaking out of paying for University, those scholarships are the only thing stopping you from drowning in debt. Those damn things expire-" Aubrey tries to reason. Sighing the last part out in clear exhaustion and exasperation.

"I know they expire, Aubrey!" I snapped. I my gut twisted in a painful knot at my sister yet again treating me like a child, like I don't know what I was doing.

A familiar ear-piercing cry shattered the tense atmosphere. My sister groaned quietly.

"Dammit, it took an hour to get him to sleep." She said as her hand racked over her tired face.

"Sorry I yelled..." I muttered, feeling slightly guilty. Aubrey just shook her head.

"It's fine. We'll talk about this another time." She stated lowly before rushing to her little boy's room.

I remained on the counter, cemented there as dark memories swirled in my mind, memories of that night I found papa. blood and gore coating the ground beneath him. His face was unrecognizable...the steaming shotgun at his side.

Like taking a weight off one side of the scale, Papa's absence sent our family plummeting. The unit we nurtured for so long shattering to pieces in the second It took for him to pull that trigger.

For the first time since that night, I allowed myself to weep.

"Take a deep breath and push!" My sister urged as my poor Moman clung to my hand for dear life. Nurses and doctors buzzed all around us, ensuring a safe delivery.

Raimond stood a crossed from me at the other side of the bed, offering his hand as well, before cringing as our Mom clutched it in her nearly bone-breaking grip.

She stopped, catching her breath in heaving pants. Sweat rolled down her pale, freckled skin. Her blonde hair soaked.

"One last time, Mom. Push!" With a scream, Moman pushed with all her might.

In those seconds, my sister gasped loudly, before loud, unapologetic crying could be heard.

"You did it, Mama!" She cheered as every nurse and doctor in the room sighed in relief.

"It's a boy." She stated happily, rushing to clean him off before placing him in the waiting arms of our Moman.

I caught a glance at Raimond to see some stray tears on his cheeks. We grinned at one another before studying our little brother. He was so small and seemed to look so much like Mom. Aside from the light brown hair, you couldn't tell the difference.

"What are you gonna name him, Moman?" Raimond asked, racking his hand through her soaked and tangled hair.

An exhausted smile graced her features.

"I think I'll name him Shaun."

It was the first time she'd smiled in months.

"War...war never changes.

In the year 1945, my thrice great grandfather, serving in the army, wondered when he'd get to go home to his wife and the son he'd never seen. He got his wish when the U.S. ended World War II by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The world awaited Armageddon... but instead, something miraculous happened. We began to use atomic energy not as a weapon, but as a nearly limitless source of power. People enjoyed luxuries once thought the realm of science fiction: domestic robots, fusion-powered cars, portable computers...

But then, in the 21st century, people awoke from the American Dream. Years of consumption led to shortages of nearly every major resource. The entire world unraveled. Peace became a distant memory. It is now the year 2077. We stand on the brink of total war... and I am afraid. For myself, my mother, my twin brother, my sister, and my infant brother. Because if my dad taught me one thing, it's that war...

War never changes."

"You've been practicing that speech of yours since you got up, sweetie." My mother stated, chuckling slightly. My gut fluttered in happiness at the sight of moman regaining her sense of normality. It's been six months since Shaun's birth, and it's only been uphill from there.

"I'd rather not be laughed off the stage, thank you very much," I said, chuckling as well.

"You'll knock them dead tonight, I know it. Now stop hogging the mirror." She grinned before gently nudging me out of the way. I snorted lightly before complying.

Waltzing out of the bathroom, I was greeted by our hallway; lined with pictures, awards and such.

I could see a stain where certain pictures once were. Papa's pictures. All stowed away in a safe in my mother's bedroom. It's been such a long year...

"Good morning, Ms. Renée." I nearly jumped out of my skin. My mind quickly brought back to reality by the sound of Codsworth's voice. He seems to have a knack for doing that.

"Sorry, didn't see you there, Cher." I stated hastily, my hand over my racing heart.

"Oh, I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean to give you such a fright." I just shook my head and sent him a small smile.

"No, it's fine. I kinda needed that. So, what's for breakfast?"

"Eggs and bacon, Ms. Renée. Just how you like them." He stated triumphantly "Now if you'll excuse me, I must get some dishes d-" Familiar loud cries interrupted him, drawing our attention to the end of the hallway.

"Uh oh, someone made a stinky!" Codsworth exclaimed before floating off to care for Shaun.

"God, am I happy we got Codsworth." Mom stated as she waltzed out of the bathroom. Hair in perfect curls and done up in her usual casual wear. Even as the years wore down on her, she was as beautiful as any of those Hollywood starlets.

"Not as happy about that steep price tag though." I joked as I snatched a strip of bacon off the plate.

"Hey, at least everyone chipped in to help. Even if they didn't, he'd still be worth every cent." She commented, before reaching for the newspaper and taking a seat at the island.

"That he is, don't know we'd do without him." I said, before shifting my gaze towards the door as the bell rang.

I groaned audibly, my mom looking just as annoyed as me.

"Could you please answer the door for me, Ray?" She asked with a pleading look on her face.

Not being able to say no to her, I trudged over to the door and refrained from snatching it open.

I put on my happy face as I was greeted by a door-to-door salesman. I mentally prepared myself to be passive-aggressively coerced into buying whatever useless bullshit they were selling.

I nearly sighed in relief when I realized it was just a vault-tec rep here to tell me that my family is getting into the local free of charge for my dad's service.

Some paperwork and fake pleasant talk later, we said our goodbyes as I hurriedly shut the door.

"Thank God, that's over with." I moaned, leaning against the door for support.

"Hey now, at least we're 'prepared for the future', a little paperwork and small talk ain't gonna kill you." She smiled while arching her neat brow.

"It's the small talk that I hate, Moman." She then gave me that same worried, disapproving look every mother seems to have perfected.

"More like you just seem to hate talk in general now. You know, you used love yapping at everyone that'd listen." I had to suppress the urge to roll my eyes, I do not want listen to yet another lecture about my mental state.

"I was young then, Mére. Things change as you age." I reasoned as I paced back over to the kitchen, planning to stuff my face to avoid this conversation.

"Prefrences change, looks change, but not who you are as a person. Age alone doesn't change that." I grimaced as I shoveled some egg into my mouth.

She sighed deeply, lowering her newspaper onto the island before opening her mouth to continue her barrage.

"Mum, Shaun absolutely will not calm down. Might I suggest you use some of that maternal affection you seem to be so good at?" I sighed in relief as I found my way out.

My mom let out a defeated huff, only to glance back over at me with a look that said it all.

 _We're not done here_

With that, she quickly breezed down the hallway, chirping along the way. "Oh Cher baby, what's wrong?"

"Thanks, Codsy." I said with a smirk, patting his metal carapace.

"You're most welcome, Ms. Renée." He stated joyfully, even if he gave me what could only be a look of confusion.

I rushed down the hall and pulled down a hatch in the ceiling, a ladder extending downwards.

Hurrying into my room, I flopped down on my full-sized bed with a sigh, metal frame speaking from the sudden impact. Hanging just above my head board was a picture of my Uncle Nick and late Aunt Jennifer. My heart clenched a bit at the sight of her dazzling smile.

 _I should really give him a call soon._

My room was mostly colored in various shades of white, and dotting the room were various kinds of plants. The sunlight filtering through the linen curtains added to the tranquil atmosphere.

I knew I should vacate the area as soon as possible. My mother would be looking for me soon enough, wanting to continue a conversation that I'd rather not have.

My back leaned firmly against the wooden chair as I loaded more BBs into the gun, before closing the chamber and aiming down the sights. An empty Nuka-Cola bottle twenty feet away shattered into glittering pieces of glass. Some larger pieces clattered to the ground, other finer bits drifted to the ground like snow.

I looked to my side, realizing I was running out of BBs rather quickly. Groaning at the thought of a trip into town, I resumed my previous escapades.

Around me birds sang, the cool autumn breeze combed through the orange, yellow and red leaves, sending them gently fluttering towards the ground. Our make-shift gun range had been the one of the first things my papa set up for my brother, sister and I when we first moved here.

Picking up my chair, I moved it back another ten feet before lining up my sights with another bottle. With accuracy only achieved by years of training from a combat veteran, another small soda bottle exploded into a glistening mist.

I came here some times when I needed fresh air, or to have some sense of privacy.

My dad had always been adamant about my brother, sister and I learning how to fight with guns and without guns. According to him, nuclear war wasn't a matter of if any more it was a matter of when. I remember the first time I ever picked up a gun was at twelve. It was a hunting rifle. He had been so confident that the recoil was enough me to handle that he actually let me fire it. Papa had to go home that day and explain to moman why I had a black eye.

With his constant encouragement and guidance, my aim improved steadily, my hold became more confident and at the age of fifteen, I won my first gun competition. Papa took me out for ice cream and bragged to everyone, whether they wanted to listen or not.

I huffed as I realized all the bottles were gone. Putting the safety on, I gently set the BB gun aside. I got my feet and treaded over to the stockpile of targets we collected over the years.

Before I could pull the tarp off, I heard the crunching of leaves behind me.

 _Here we go_

"There you are." Mére said from behind, sounding slightly winded from the trek up the hill.

Turning to her, I saw Shaun bundled up in a blanket, secured to her chest by a wrap.

"Looks like I'm gonna need to head out soon, running out BBs here." I said, before turning to collect my stuff.

"You gonna need anything while I'm out?" I inquired, facing her once more to see the less than impressed look on her face.

"Renée, sit down." She commanded, before seating herself on a tree stump.

I may be an adult, but I knew better than to disobey her. Obediently, I seated myself in my wooden chair.

"You know what I'm here to talk to you about, don't try and weasel out of it like you always do." Her accusatory tone had me shifting uneasily. My eyes darted around the clearing, hoping a distraction would magically appear. Sadly, it seemed even divine intervention wouldn't save me now.

"Now, would you please talk to your own mother. You know I worry about you, and this game of cat and mouse you seem to have going on is only making it worse." I opened my mouth, but I couldn't will myself to speak. So I just sat there, staring at her dumbly.

"You're gonna have to talk to me at some point, Renée." Mom pressed, leg bouncing as her arms came up to cradle Shaun.

"I'll talk to you when I'm ready-"

"I have given you a year to talk to me, but you never do. You worry me, Sweetie. You used to be so talkative. Every stranger was just a potential friend. even those door-to-door salesmen were fair game. You played music, sang, traveled. You even went to France on foreign exchange. I remember you would take apart anything you go your hands on to see what made it tick." She pleaded. The sunlight highlighting her now glistening eyes.

"Now, you just...shut yourself in like a hermit. I remember every morning when you were younger I would wake up to the sound of your music. The house is so silent now. You would tell me everything that went on your life, good or bad. These days you treat me like I'm a...stranger." Her breath hitched at that last part. Part of me wanted to spill everything, let myself finally collapse. I knew she would catch me, but that would involve reliving what occurred. I couldn't bring myself to revisit it just yet. Every day, I work to forget what I saw. When night comes, I can't seem to escape it. Many times, I'd lay paralyzed in my bed, internally screaming while gazing up at my faceless father, unable to take my eyes off him or even close them.

"You don't talk to anyone anymore. Not even your brother and sister. You've shut out all your friends. I never see any of them come over anymore. When I'm out they come to me and ask about you. They wonder if they've done something wrong. If something happened to you...This isn't you." As she finished her heartfelt speech, we sat there in total silence. The pressure to speak was quickly becoming too much, and as I willed myself to peer into my mother's eyes, it became too much to bear.

"I don't talk about it...because I don't think I can handle telling you everything right now." I murmured, my body twitching involuntarily.

"I...I was the one who found him. You know this. I don't think I can handle confronting what I saw that night just yet, Moman." I confessed as I watched a stray tear find it's way done my Mére's blushed cheeks.

"Then when? When will you tell me, tell anyone? You can't keep letting life pass you by like this, Renée." She all but pleaded. I let out a shaky sigh, gazing down at my trembling hands.

"I dunno, Mama." I mumbled almost inaudibly.

"Will you at least try therapy-"

"That's too much money right now, Moman. With the VA flaking out of paying you, everything I earn goes to you and Shaun. To take care of you...right now I don't have any choice but to put my mental health on the back burner." This finally brought my mom to tears. Her hand firmly clamped over her mouth to muffle any noise. Guilt rose in my chest at my choice of words. Quickly, I got my feet and wrapped her in my arms.

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie." She blubbered, before burying her face into my neck.

"It's not your fault, Moman." I stated lowly as I petted her back. "I promise when the VA starts paying you I'll go to therapy, okay?" She just nodded.

"He'd be so proud of you." She murmured after a few moments of silence. It hit me like a punch to the gut. For a second I felt as though I couldn't breathe. That statement alone nearly brought me to tears.

"I know."

As the sun set, many would go about their nightly routines before crawling into bed. Not me though.

Most nights I found myself occupying my time until I was so exhausted I knew I would sleep through the entire night.

This time, I found myself performing maintenance on Codsworth while he powered down. His coolant was running low, and he needed his weekly refill on his fuel.

It was already crawling into the wee hours of the morning as I gazed up at the clock in the garage.

Looking over him one last time, I saw nothing wrong. Closing his back hatch, I climbed to my feet and made for the pommel horse.

When I was young, my dad had my brother, sister and I all choose a sport and a type of martial arts we wanted to participate in.

I had chosen gymnastics and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. In my younger days, I had competed in many tournaments. Nowadays, they're just another thing to occupy my time.

Just as I was beginning my hand hops, Shaun awoke. His sobbing was audible even from the garage.

Codsworth began to power up just as I opened the door leading into the hall.

"It's fine, Sweetie. I got it." Moman said as she exited her room, the bags under eyes rather obvious.

"No, Mama. You can go back to bed. I was already awake." I felt a metal claw rest on my shoulder.

"Neither of you worry, I'll tend to him." Codsworth stated happily as I let him pass.

Before the Mr. Handy could reach the end of the hall, sirens began wailing in the distance. Goose-eggs rose on my arms. They were all too familiar. Years of drills from my school and the government made sure I knew what they signified.

Nothing else was said as Mére rushed into Shaun's room. I made for the front door and threw it open, not having to wait before my mom appeared right behind me with a fussy baby in her arms.

I glanced back at Codsworth momentarily, guilt eating me alive. We couldn't bring him, it didn't matter how important he was to the family. The vault would never allow it.

With no time to waste, we dashed out the door. It seemed the tranquil night had now exploded into chaos.

I could see people who once looked at each other neighbors now beating others in hopes it would secure their spot in the vault.

Sobs, wails, and yells clouded the air around us. The thick atmosphere almost threatening to sufacate me.

I shielded my moman and Shaun from much of it.

We rushed crossed the wooden bridge and I looked up to see a furious, frightened mob at the top, blocking the entrance.

I cursed under my breath. I pulled my mother and brother close, all but burying them into my chest as I marched up to the crowd. At first, I tried pushing my way through, but when no one seemed to care I began adding more strength behind my shoving.

With brute force, I parted the crowd. Pushing, elbowing and even punching some of the more violent folk.

At the gate, I saw the same vault tech rep from just a week ago, screaming at the soldiers to let him in.

He and the crowd momentarily backed away as the power-armored soldiers charged up their machine guns.

Seeing my chance, I rushed to the gate.

"We're on the list, let us in!" I shrieked over the crowd. The man standing just behind the chain link fence glanced at his clipboard.

"Two adult females and a baby. Come on in!" He stated loudly, the chaos around us almost drowning him out.

The gate opened and we both darted in. My shirt suddenly went taught, the collar constricting my throat. Moman screamed my name. Shaun sobbed openly.

The officer beside me brought his baton down on the offender's arm. I picked myself up and curled a protective arm around my weeping mother once more

The gate was then forced shut. Behind me, I could hear the crowd pleading with us to convince the soldiers to let them through. Others hurled insults and threats at my mom and I.

I only focused on my goal. Getting what was left of my family to safety.

Together we ran to the vault, mére was rambling at a vault employee. I tuned most of it out.

As we finally stood on the entrance to the vault, moman looked up at me.

"I love you, Sweetie." I didn't even have time to respond before the single brightest light I had ever seen flashed before my eyes. I buried my face into my mom's hair.

The platform began to defend just before the shock wave swept over us. The noise of it all drowning even the loudest of shrieks out.

Much of what came next was a blur. The employees in blue ushering us off the platform, herding us up the stairs and a crossed the metal bridge into a large room.

More employees greeted us with empty smiles.

A blue jumpsuit of my own was pushed into my arms that I had yet to unfurl from around my mother.

A scientist spoke to us, the words were so jumbled I could barely make them out.

It came to me that I hadn't blinked since I descended into the vault.

We were given what little privacy available to change. I glanced at my mother. She was speaking to me.

"Renée, are you even listening?" She asked, looking deeply concerned.

"Sorry, I was just...dazed." I sighed, tugging my toned arms into the rather snug sleeves.

" I was asking if you're alright." I could hear crying coming from the other side of the lockers.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I confirmed as I zipped up my suit before taking Shaun into my arms to let Moman change.

As I handed him back to her, we exited to locker rooms and came into a large industrial-looking hallway lined with people in various states of grief.

A too-peppy looking scientist came up to us. Must be the one from before.

"Good. Now, if you'll just follow me, I'll lead you to the decontamination pods." I looked at him quizzically as we followed.

"Decontamination pods?"

"Yes! Wouldn't want disease passed amongst the population, now would we?" He answered just as we happened upon the room lined with said pods.

The cool temperature of the room permeated my suit, all the way to my bones.

I suddenly felt sick as I gazed upon the pods. Beside them were unnamed canisters.

Behind me, I heard Shaun begin to whine.

I walked to my mother's side. Grinning down at Shaun, I began cooing at him.

"Hey Cher baby, what wrong?" Shaun glanced up at me with his doe-like green eyes before giving me a toothless smile.

"I gotta get in the pod over there, be good for moman, yeah?" I chirped, then turned to my mother to hug her.

"Love you too, Mére." With that, I went to climb into my pod.

I sent a small smile their way as both of our pod doors closed.

I leaned back in the seat before ice-cold gas filled the chamber. Panic gripped my heart as I could feel my eyes drooping. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't stop myself as an exhaustion I've never felt came over me.

Without my consent, the constant sound of flowing gas soon became distant as I fell into a dreamless sleep.

The first thing that came to me was my sense of touch. With that, I felt as though my lungs were congested. A violent coughing fit overtook me.

Just then my hearing came to me. Voices. Three I think.

Though blurry, my sight came to me. I pressed my face to the foggy glass to see two people clad in what looked to be with radiation suits and a bald man in leathers.

I felt so sick.

"This one here, this is the one." A distinctly feminine voice called out. My gut seemed to twist violently. They didn't look like any vault tec employees.

"Open it." A deep, masculine voice sounded from the man in leather.

A horrible feeling of dread came over me. Though I don't know these people, I was convinced they were bad news.

I pounded on the glass, yelled, anything to draw their attention from my mom's pod to mine.

Nothing stuck. They paid me no mind. Like I was a minor annoyance.

The sound of moman's pod opening made my heart rate soar. With nothing between them, the strangers were free to do what they please.

My mother awoke with a violent coughing fit.

"Is it over?" She gritted out, obviously straining to speak.

"Yes. Yes, now let us help you out of there." The woman, reaching for Shaun.

That flipped a switch inside me.

"Don't you fucking touch Shaun!" A voice I barely recognized as my own screeched.

"No, I got him." My mother growled, just as suspicious as I was of these newcomers. The woman paid neither of us mind, her hands still extending to grab Shaun.

Moman jerked him away, sending Shaun into a fit.

I found myself pounding on the glass in some vain attempt to free myself and protect what's mine.

"s'éloigner de mon frère!" I roared as the bitch latched onto Shaun.

While they were engaged in a sort of tug-of-war over Shaun, the man in leather pointed a .44 at my moman's temple.

"MOMAN!" I cried as he muttered a threat.

"I'M NOT GIVING YOU SHAUN!" Mére screeched.

My whole body seized as he pulled the trigger

"NON!" I wailed. I saw red at the sight of Shaun being violently ripped from our mother's now lifeless arms.

I saw a crack appear on the the window, which only made me wail on it with more fury. I didn't even feel my knuckles crack from the strain. I barely even noticed the blood splattering onto the glass.

"Goddammit, get the boy out of here!" The murderer ordered, before walking right up to the glass of my pod. "At least we still got the backup." I got a good look at him now. Bald, brown scruff, scar on his left eye. I knew who my target was when I got out of here.

"tu ferais mieux de prier, je ne te trouverai jamais." I hissed like some wild animal.

He paid my threats no mind, only casually walking away like he didn't just murder an innocent woman and steal her son.

I could still hear Shaun sobbing.

"SHAUN!" I cried aimlessly. I resumed my barrage on the glass. My knuckles were a bloody mess now. I still felt numb.

Gas began flowing into the chamber again. Even with my rage fueling me, I could feel exhaustion overtaking me again.

I pressed myself against the glass and screeched Shaun's name one last time as his cries faded, along with my consciousness.

I could feel myself drifting back to reality.

I opened my aching eyes, everything was so fuzzy.

In that second firey pain shot up from my hands.

I couldn't even move them it was so agonizing.

The sounds around were muffled like I had earplugs in.

Sirens sounded just outside the pod. I heard hissing.

With no warning, the pod door opened, sending me crumbling to the floor.

I screeched as another wave of molten hot pain coursed up my arms when I attempted to catch myself.

Suddenly, my gut churned violently, forcing me to empty my stomach with little time to react.

Wiping my mouth on my forearm, I glanced up at my moman's pod. Nausea threatened to overtake me once more, but I pushed it away.

I'm not sure if I had the strength to look at her, in fear that her face would resemble his. That I would have another ghost to haunt me at night.

Guilt ate at my heart as I crawled over to her pod and rested my aching head on it's cool crest.

I couldn't do it.

Despondence clouded the air around me. I could barely breathe.

My teeth grounded together painfully as I forced all those dark memories away.

I'm sure I would let myself die here if I remembered. My will to live would be nothing but dust.

I had nothing now. No mother, no father. Raimond and Aubrey could very well have died when the bombs fell

Shaun.

The little boy who made our mama smile for the first time in forever. That beautiful smile that gave our family the will to continue.

The thought of him alone eased the many of the physical and mental aches.

It reignited that flame deep in me that had been snuffed out.

He must be out there. He has to be. I can't afford to not believe that is so.

I forced every painful memory down under lock and key. I had no time for those kinds of feelings now.

Using the pod for stability, I clambered to my feet.

As I stumbled down the walkway lined with pods, I didn't look back. My resolve would break if I did.

Shaun.

I had to find, Shaun.

These metal halls seem to be never-ending. At least I had found a stimpack while wandering. I didn't realize my bones being forcibly snapped back together would be so excruciating.

Besides that, I haven't found much else down here other than dog-sized roaches.

God, they're fucking everywhere.

My boots were soaked in their worryingly glowing green blood.

Currently, I was looking for my way out. The main door was completely sealed.

I grimaced as I happened a crossed another cluster of skeletons while traversing the eerie halls.

That would explain why no one heard any commotion.

As another set of doors slid open, I realized I came upon what looked to be a reception area.

I nearly gasped in relief as I spotted a 10mm pistol and spare ammo. Looks like my boots were gonna get a well-deserved break.

The terminal sitting there collecting dust was relatively easy to hack into. Upon doing some light reading, I discovered a secret escape tunnel.

My heart jumped at the sight of the walls parting, and at the realization that I was one step closer to finding Shaun.

I was soon greeted by the blinding lights of the lobby.

A large panel sat beside the contracted metal bridge. If I had to guess, it was probably my way out.

Trudging over, I noticed the remains of a scientist lay spayed out at the foot of the panel...with an intact pip-boy on their arm.

As a child, I always begged my parents for one. I'd do all my chores, muster the best puppy eyes I could. When window shopping, I would almost drool over them through the store windows. They were too damn expensive though.

All these years later, and now there's one just sitting at my feet.

Squashing the guilt I felt at basically desecrating a corpse, I gently relieved them of their precious gadget.

It was like I had always imagined it. Sitting here for God-knows how long has definitely removed it's shiny coating, but it was still a beautiful piece of engineering genius.

Strapping it to my arm, I booted it up. Various clinking noises could be heard before I came to the home screen.

I gazed back at the panel and realized it had a keyhole of sorts. My pip-boy had a knob that fits it just perfectly.

I nearly plugged my ears as sirens began blaring again while once dormant machinery now kicked itself into gear.

The sound of the vault door being pushed out of the way was something I could have gone my whole life without hearing. When it was over, I heaved out a sigh of relief before heading a crossed the corroded old bridge.

 _Just how long was I frozen_

Thinking back to the skeletons, it's definitely been a few years given how brittle the bones were.

The thought momentarily filled me with dread. I had had no concept of time while stuck in that freezer. Shaun could very well be a little boy by now, or a full-grown man.

 _If he's still alive-_

I nipped that thought in the bud. I can't be thinking like that, not now.

As I came to the familiar platform that'd lead me to the surface, I inhaled deeply. I'm not sure what I'm gonna find up there. Papa may have given me the tools to survive, but the mental fortitude it would take left me wondering if I would even make it up there. It didn't matter though, I had no choice.

As the floor rose higher and higher, my heart rate soared along with it.

The ceiling opened to reveal the cloudless heavens full of stars.

The platform finished its ascent.

As my eyes adjusted to the darkness I gaped in shock and horror. As far as the eye could see was destruction. The skyline that was once filled with massive skyscrapers were now hollowed out husks of their former selves. Once bustling interstates now laid in disarray. The trees completely bare of leaves and no flowers to be found.

I turned away from the wretched sight to scout the area. I left no stone unturned. I picked up as many supplies as I could carry and began making my way towards the familiar trail leading to Sanctuary Hills.

As I traveled along the trail, I heard the snapping of twigs and rustling of bushes. I picked up the pace, eagerly awaiting the promise of shelter. The noises grew in volume as I trekked along. Before I knew it, I could hear shuffling not far behind me. I spun on my heel to come face to face with shit straight out of those zombie flicks my brother and I watched religiously. I froze on the spot, not wanting to make any sudden movements. One of the zombies stopped and sniffed the air.

' _Bad eyesight?_ '

I stood like a statue, hoping they would leave well enough alone. Just as the walking corpses began hobbling up the trail, a gust of wind blew right past me.

Simultaneously, they all stopped and wiped around to face me. A gurgling roar pierced the air, and they rushed me before I could even switch off the safety on my gun. I ducked out of the way just as one tried to grapple me, letting it crash into the tree behind me. As I rolled to side, I switched off the safety and leveled my gun with one of their heads and fired.

' _One down, four more to go.'_

Before I could get another shot off, I was tackled to the ground. Just as it opened it's maw I slammed the butt of the gun into it's jaw, breaking it with gruesome crack. That didn't stop it though as it tried to gouge me with its claws. I kicked it in the side and rolled us over. I pressed my gun to it's head and pulled the trigger. I pulled off just as the others came sprinting towards me. I dived out of the way and cloths lined the last before putting a bullet in its skull. The other two double backed and rushed me again. I blew off the other zombie's head just before the other flung itself onto me. Together, we tumbled down the hill and didn't stop until my head bashed the trunk of a tree. I yelped in pain as my vision swam. The zombie jumped on top of me again and latched onto my right arm as I tried to block it. I took that time to put a bullet into it's head. It collapsed in a heap on top of me.

I looked over and noticed it left a crater in my arm. I unzipped my vault suit slightly to fish out a stimpack. The last thing I remember was jamming it into my arm and a British accented voice calling out before fainting from the pain and exhaustion.

Hey guys, God it's been a long time. Sorry about that. I didn't like where I was originally taking the story. I felt like my writing at the time just didn't reflect what I really wanted this to be. I like how this rewrite has turned out. Hopefully you guys do too.

Renée was traumatized and I felt like I just didn't get that a crossed during my first go at this.

Renée also was originally half French so I decided to go a head and make her and her family Cajun.

Translations: Beware, I used google translate. Let me know if you find any mistakes!

Maman/Moman: mom or mommy

Mére: mother

Cher: pronounced like "Sha" among Cajun's

s'éloigner de mon frère: Get away from my brother

tu ferais mieux de prier, je ne te trouverai jamais: you better pray I never find you


End file.
